Underground trolley



(No Model.)

L. BINNS.

UNDERGROUND TROLLEY.

l Il

NiTD STATES Fries.

ATENT UNDERGROUND TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,434, dated July 9, 1895. Application filed April l1, 1894- Serial-No. 507,161. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LEEDHAM B1NNs,a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Underground Trolley, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to the propulsion of vehicles by electricity; and its object is to provide a new and improved underground trolley which is comparatively simple and durable in construction and arranged to properly conduct the electricity to the. motor in the vehicle without loss and without danger to the passengers riding in the car or persons or animals crossing the tracks.

The invention consists, principally, of a duct, a conducting-rail in the said duct and connected with the source of electricity-supply, and a frame hinged on the under side of the vehicle and carrying a trolley-pulley.

rlhe invention also consists ofcertain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in `whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a sectional side elevation of the improvement as applied. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on thel line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of the trolley-pulley-supporting frame. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the conducting-rail. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the duct at the crossing, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of a modified form of conducting-rail.

The vehicle A to be propelled by a motor driven by electricity is provided on the under side of its platform with a bracket B', in which is fulcrumed a frame B extending longitudinally and carrying at its free end a head C located about mid-length of the car and secured to frame B by means of bolts, as indicated in Figs. l and 3. The head O is sufiiciently narrow near its lower part.to eX- tend through a slot D in the duct D, set in the pavement so Vas to be flush with the top thereof, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 2.

On the lower end of the head CV is arranged an insulation E resting on a pulley-frame F carrying the trolley-pulleyF, adapted to travel on a conductor G, arranged in the shape of sheet metal over a lining of paper or like material and resting on top of the rail H, of wood or other suitable material, set between flanges I formed on the top of thebottom plate I of the duct D, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2. The pulley-frame F is connected with the end of a cond noting-wire F2 extending through the hollow head C to connect with the motor in the car A, the said conducting-wire being insulated in' the said head C,

so that the electricity from the conductor G passes through the pulley F, the frame F', and through the wire F2 to the motor without passing to the head C and the frame B carrying the head.

The conduit or duct D is composed of simi larly-[ormed side plates having at their'upper portions inwardly-projecting flanges D2 suitably spaced apart to form the slot and at their lower ends outwardly-projecting flanges or feet and a fiat bottom plate I, on which said feet are secured, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

The bottom plate I is provided throughout its length with apertures I2, placed suitable distances apart, so that moisture or rain-water can readily pass through the said apertures to drain the duct D and to keep the same as dry as possible. Through one of the said apertures l2 is passed a wire G', leading from a suitable source of electricity and connected with the conductor G, as is plainly shown in Fig. 4.

. The bottom platerI for the duct D `rests on the ties J, below which is arranged a longitudinally-extending channel K, located in alignment with the duct D, so that the water passing through the apertures l2 drops into the said channel to be carried off at suitable places along the track to prevent accumulation of moisture at or near the duet.

The head C may be weighted, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to hold the trolley-pulley Fv with sufficient force in contactwith thecon.- ductor G to insure proper contact of the pnlley with the conductor to readily transmit the electricity from the conductor to thepnlley and to the wire F2 leading to the motor.

The pulley-frame F is preferably formed at the front and rear and directly over the conductor-rail G with shoes F3, whichl project forwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Fig. l, and are adapted to support pulleys traveling on the rail toinsure steadiness of the pulleyframe and head C and to assist in conven- -iently crossing the eut conductor-rail at a crossing.

The upper end of the head C is connected with two chains L and L', extending upward and passing over pulleys N and N respectively, to then extend in opposite directions under the bottoin'of the car to the platformsthereof, each chain being provided with an interposed spring L2, as is plainly shown in Fig. l.v The outer end of each chain L or L is adapted to wind cna pulley P, held on the usual staff Q, journaled in suitable bearings on the platform of the car and under the control of the operator or conductor, so thatv on winding up 'these chains' L and L on the pulley P the frame B is' swung upward and the trolley-pulley F is thereby lifted o ff the conducting-rail G to prevent further transmisi swinging frame-pivoted on the under side of the vehicle,a head held in the free end ofthe said frame and adapted to be weighted,a ytrolley pulley frame insulated on the lower Sion of electricity to the rnotor to'sto'p the car".

By using the springsLZin the chains- L L a yielding connection is made between the chain and the head C, so that the carin going over uneven surfaces does' not affect the contact of the trolley-pulley F with th'e conductor Gr.

As shown in Fig. 6, the conductor G2 is pro'- vided with downwardly-extending flanges' G3 adapted to be fastened on the upper end of f the wooden rail H set between the flanges 14 of the bottom plate lof the duct, the said bottom` plate being further provided with addi-v tional' longitndinally-extending flanges or ridges l5 to form channels between the corresponding flanges I4 for the wooden rail H. The channel thus formed islled, preferably, with a waterproof insulating substance,such as tallow, and the inner faces' as well as' the top edges of the said anges l5 are additionally guarded against moisture by plates 17, preferably made of glass' or other suitable material and having their upper ends' curved or bent over the upper ends' of flanges l5. The sides of the conductor G2 extend over the top edges of the said plates, as is plainly illustrated in said Fig. 6. At a crossing the' conductor-rail is cut, as shown in Fig. 5, to form' a passage for the crossing-cable. The modified form of conductor-rail is in'this case formed with ends l6 joining the flanges orv ridges-l5, and likeends l7 connect the flanges I4 with each other, the rail H terminating at the inner face of this cut. The bottom plate I is turned up at its ends, as at I8, to bind the flanges, and a non-conducting rail fastened in the s'aid flanges and covered at its head with a Conducting plate, substantially as described.

2.,An underground conduit provided with a conducting rail composed of a non-conducting rail proper, and a sheet metal covering for the he'ad of the said rail proper, and a covering of waterproof material'applied over the sidesof and-'adapted to protect the said nonconducting rail proper from moisture, as set forth.

3.An underground trolley, comprising a frame adapted to be pivoted to the car, a head secured in the free end of the said frame, a trolley pulley journaled in a frame attached to the said head, chains connected with the said head and extendingin opposite directions under the ca'r,-and means for winding up or unwindin'g the said chains to impart an upward or downward swinging motion to the said frame, substantially as shown and described.4v

4. An underground trolley provided with a end of the said head, and provided with a shoe which projects from the forward portion therel of anda pulley journaled in the said trolley pulley frame, substantially as shown and described.

5. An underground trolley, comprising a pivoted frame, a head secured inthe free end of thel said pivoted frame, a trolley pulley flanges projecting from its upper face, and

side portionshaving at their lower ends outwardly projecting lianges secured to said bottom plate and at their upperends inwardly projecting flanges,- the adjacent edges of which are spaced apart to form a slot, substantially as set forth.

7. An underground trolley, provided with a' frame adapted to be'pivoted on-the car, a head held on the free end of said frame', a trolley-pulley frame insulatedV on the lower end of the head, a pulley journaled therein and shoes mounted on said pulley frame and extending forwardly and rearwardly from the pulley, substantially as set forth.

8. An underground trolley, provided with a frame adapted to be pivoted on the car, a headv 1 held on the free end thereof, a trolley pulley j frame insulated on the lower end of the head,

a pulley journaled in the pulleyframe, shoes mounted on the pulley frame and projecting forwardly and rearwardly from the pulley, and a roller on the under side of each shoe,

substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of a slotted conduit,

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